Journal of Zoonotic Diseases and Public Health

Plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and is transmitted by droplet contact, direct physical contact, indirect contact, airborne transmission, fecal-oral transmission or vector borne transmission. It was known as the "Black Death" during the fourteenth century, causing an estimated 50 million deaths. It shows flu-like symptoms which include sudden fever, chills, headache, body ache, weakness, vomiting and nausea. Diagnosis and confirmation of plague requires laboratory testing and the best way to confirm is to identify Y. pestis in a sample of blood or sputum. Antibiotics and supportive therapy are effective against plague if patients are diagnosed in time. The antibiotics often used are streptomycin, chloramphenicol and tetracycline. Since human plague is rare in most parts of the world, routine vaccination is not needed other than for those at particularly high risk of exposure.

Related Journals of Plague

Journal of Health Education Research & Development, Hospital & Medical Management, Pathogenic Landscape of Transboundary Zoonotic Diseases, Zoonoses, Journal of Foodborne and Zoonotic Diseases.